July 24th, 2010
GBRNS—Great Basin Raptor Nest Survey, UT
The Salt Flats and Mountains of NW Utah
Unfortunately I cannot write much about the pictures below due to signing a sensitive data agreement with HawkWatch International (HWI). However, HWI Conservation Director Steve Slater (my immediate supervisor) has allowed me to showcase some of the nests JC, ZH (coworkers), and I visited while conducting surveys this spring and early summer (’10) for the ongoing Great Basin Raptor Nest Survey (GBRNS). Thanks Steve! HWI has been conducting GOEA and Ferrugounous Hawk surveys in Northwestern Utah for ten years. The amount of data compiled about each nest is impressive let alone how it is organized. If you are interested in learning more about the study or HWI click GBRNS / HawkWatch International.
When viewing the pictures below visualize driving to within a quarter of a mile or so of the rock outcropping / cliff face, placing the work truck in an ideal viewing position, looking at the data sheet to see where to begin looking for the nest—sometimes there are 2 or 3 nests, placing your binoculars to your eyes with the anticipation and excitement of finding a nest with fluffy grayish chicks, and begin scanning.
Sometimes it takes a few seconds to find the nest and other times it takes 5-15 minutes. If it is a difficult nest to locate it may take up to 30 minutes. This has happened 3 times to me this season. One would think searching for a large nest on the side of an escarpment would be relatively easy to spot. Think again. Occasionally I would have to reposition the truck so I could have the right angle to see the nest. Enjoy.
GOEA 1a
GOEA Nest 1b
GOEA Nest 1c
GOEA 2a
GOEA Nest 2b
GOEA Nest 2c
GOEA Nest 3a
GOeA Nest 3b
GOeA Nest 4a
GoEA Nest 4b
GOEA 5a
GOEA 5b
GOEA6a
GOEA Nest 6b
GOEA Nest 6c
GOEA Nest 7a
GOEA Nest 7b
GOEA Nest 8a
GOEA Nest 8b
Consider for a moment you are in my shoes and find yourself on this hillside looking for a GOEA nest. The proverbial needle in the haystack—right? 3 different observation points and 30 minutes later I cannot find the nest Steve has sent ZH and I out to locate, photograph, and collect data about the general area. I begin to ask myself, “Where am I not looking?” A question I learned to ask myself when tracking the radio-marked Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep ewes of Poudre Canyon in Colorado. And once again it worked.
GOEA Nest 9a
Where would you begin to look?
GOEA Nest 9b
How about now?
GOEA Nest 9c
Bingo!
GOEA 9d
You can ask the question, “How?” I continue to ask myself the same question.
Silver Island Mountains